"My music is written with the greatest respect for the people of the Andes, their music and their culture."
– Medwyn Goodall

NAZCA: lively and slightly mysterious instrumental music for panpipes, skin drums, guitars and many other instruments. Inspired by the snow, ice, jungle, and desert of the world's longest mountain range.

The Taquirari is a rhythm that originated in the
tropical lower land areas of Bolivia-specifically Beni, Pando and Santa Cruz.
Many Spanish missions were also established in these same regions. As a result
of the intermixing of Bolivian and Spanish cultures and musical traditions,
the Taquirari was born. During festive occasions, the women wear brightly
colored costumes, with elaborately designed flower headsets and dance to the
sensual and cadent tempo played all clay.

2 Cueca Desconocida 3'24" Traditional Rhythm: Cueca - Bolivia

The Cueca is a courtship dance that emerged during colonial times in the countries
of Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Peru. Cueca, known as Marinera in Peru and
Zamba in Argentina is also recognized as the national dance of Chile. Today,
this romantic and sensual rhythm is widely popular with the
mestizos-criollos-who settle in the large modern cities of these Andean
countries. -

At Carnaval 0f Oruro, one 0f the largest festivals held in Bolivia, there
is a very popular and spectacular dance called the Morenada. This dance is
characterized by the intricate and brightly colored costumes worn by the male
dancers. These costumes, which weigh between 100-140 pounds, require the men
t0 dance slowly up the hill. This festival is a two-fold celebration which
worships not only the Virgin 0f El Socavon (mine), but also the spirits that
reign in the depths 0f the mines. The rhythm of the Morenada is played
repetitiously as the dancers wind their way up to the chapel.

Urpilita is a contemporary composition using the old language of the Incas
called Quechua or Runa Simi. In fact, the lyrics were taken from an old
Quechua poem compiled by Jesus Lara.

Urpilitay kapuarga Waqajliy wagaysiwarqa Songnetunta jok'okuspa Wagayniyta
pichawarga I had a little dove When I cried, she cried loo Her heart over
flowing She wiped rny fears away Tarata jarka painpapi Iskay quinza shacha's
lian Si mama ganllachu kanki Ashka rnnnasquelasniyga In the Tarala jarka lice
plains There are two and three frees It isn't only you Many my lovers are

For thousands of years, cultures around the world worshipped the element so
vital to lifethe sun. During pre-Inca and Inca civilization, TataInti, (Sun
God), was the most important of the many gods to worship. The Incas considered
themselves to be the direct descendants of TataInti and called themselves,
Sons of Inti. Consequently, they dedicated their lives to the sun god, by
holding special religious ceremonies and festivals year round. The Festival of
IntiRaymi was the grandest and most important event of the entire Inca empire.
Pilgrims from the farthest corners of the empire traveled to Cuzco for this
celebration showing their collective spiritual devotion.

The popular Cacharpaya Huaynos are usually played on the final day of the
festival of Cacharpaya. One of the oldest dance forms of the Andes, Huayno is
a social dance and is popular throughout the valleys and highlands of this
region.

7 Ayawasca 3'58" Traditional Rhythm: Yaravi-Huayno

Ayawasca is a powerful hallucinogenic drug used by the Incas whilst
performing some of their sacred rituals and ceremonies. This song has two
rhythm sections. The first section, a Yaravi , is a slow and sad melody that
is usually accompanied by lyrics in the native language, Quechua. Previously
known as Jarawi, (pronounced ha-ra-we), Yaravi is probably one of the oldest
musical styles in existence and was used by the Incas to pass down unwritten
stories from generations to generations. The second section is a Huayno.
Written in this energetic format, this traditional Huayno breaks the spell of
the sad Yaravi.

This is a contemporary tune in the rhythm of carnaval. Originating from
Santa Cruz, Bolivia, this type of music is normally played with string
instruments and brass bands in festivals and celebrations. This lively music
became popular in the valleys and highlands, and was arranged for pan flutes
and charangos, traditionally used by urban bands.

When the Spanish conquerors arrived in the Andes, they found orchestras of
pan flutes accompanied by wankaras (drums) playing beautiful melodies. As the
Spanish associated much of this music with native religions and the
worshipping of native gods, they attempted to suppress it. Fortunately, they
were only partly successful as this ancient music survived nearly unchanged in
the more remote areas of the country. (This is a contemporary composition
performed in the traditional way)

Located in the foothills of the Andes, Quillacollo is 400 miles to the west
of Santa Cruz. Many residents from Santa Cruz make pilgrimages to Quillacollo
during festival time. Amongst these people are musicians and dancers ready to
perform new Taquirari and carnaval music for the local residents. This is the
case of this Taquirari, which still rings in my ears as a child growing up in
Quillacollo.

Along the borders of the Andes mountains and the Amazon jungles, towns
flourished with an interesting mix of people consisting of the Collas (people
from the highlands) and the Cambas (people from the lower lands). The Collas
and Combas have distinctive differences in their facial features, customs,
food, and their music.

Vallegrande, which borders this area, is the birthplace of a popular style
of music called, Kaluyo. With a similar rhythm as the Huayno, the Katuyo tempo
is slower and emanates a sad feeling, capturing the Cotlas and Combas yearning
for their highlands and rain forest.

This song was composed in the mid-seventies as part of a musical poem. It
speaks about the exodus of natives departing their remote villages, and
arriving in large cities for the hope of a better life. What these natives
experience, however, is segregation, racism and rejection.

Down on their tuck, these natives continue to wander from town to town, and
eventually return to their village. Although they are penniless, their heart
and spirit are unbroken and they are happy to return to their homeland.

The first half of this song is performed in a traditional ritual dance
called Choquelas. This dance is performed during the harvest season. The
second half is played in a more contemporary style, which is a blend of pan
flutes and strings. At the end of this song, the tempo accelerates signifying
the happiness of the natives returning to their villages.

13 Camba Cusa 4'04" Traditionat Rhythm: San Juanito - Ecuador

The San Juanito is one type of music most popular in Ecuador. It is
performed widely during the San Juan Festival, which is also known as The
Winter Equinox Festival. Some San Juanitos are performed with the bandurria (a
small fifteen string guitar), or the rondador (Ecuadorean pan flute), as the
lead instrument. This particular San Juanito, however, is arranged for two
Bolivian pan flutes and a bandurria which are played simultaneously

The largest of the family of pan pipes, Chiris, are utilized in this song.
These pan pipes are 4'12 feet tong, and although these flutes are usually
accompanied by drums, it was not until the late sixties that these pan pipes
were being used together with string instruments.

It is known that the Pre-Inca and Inca civilizations worshipped the natural
elements as gods. They worshipped Tata-Inti (Father Sun), Pachamama (Mother
Earth), and Illapa (God of Lighting), to name a few The Incas made sacrificial
offerings so that the gods would bring rain during times of drought. Today, in
the valleys and highlands of the Andes, communities still perform special
ceremonies to the Wakas (Gods) by repeating the rituals their ancestors have
performed for centuries.

Although the Andes mountains, once known to be rich in gold and silver,
were robbed centuries ago of their precious metals by intruders from other
continents, the true riches of the Andes remain with its people. This treasure
of the Andes lies not in its mountains of gold and silver, but in its folklore
and history. This wealth of traditions, rituals, and music dates back
thousands of years to the mysterious civilization of the Collos of Tiawanaku,
and the highly advanced civilization of the Incas. The tribes that lived
within the proud, majestic mountains of Tawantinsuyo were once united under
many centuries of Inca rule, before they fell under the rule of the Spaniards
in the 16th century. (Today, these areas are known as Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia,
Northern Chile, Northern Argentina, and Southern Colombia.)

Several centuries have passed since the last Inca ruled, but the
descendants of this great culture, the Quechua (Inca) and the Aymara (Collo)
Indians, still have the Incan spirit embedded deeply in their hearts. They
continue to preserve and practice the ways of their ancestors, celebrating the
same festivals with the songs and fervor they have possessed since before the
time of the Incan empire.

The Incas used music as a medium to transmit their history. As they had no
written language, they recounted events and stories through their music. Owing
to this tradition, the Incas not only were able to preserve their history, but
also the music and instruments that were played in their festivals. To this
day, music is a dominant force in their daily lives. Simple daily tasks are
played out in music: for cutting one's hair for the first time, or planting
and harvesting the yearly crops, there is a unique instrument and rhythm
created expressly for each event. From the penetrating sadness of a slow
Yaravi sung to an absent lover to the lively, bright Carnavals played in
celebration of the harvesting season, this ethereal music reflects the beauty
and harmony of daily life in the Andes.

THE MUSICIANS

Gonzalo Vargas was born in Tapajkari, Bolivia, a remote Andean village from
which he inherited his traditional musical skills, and a desire to perform,
study, and teach his ancestral music. In Bolivia, Gonzalo played with many
musical groups, the most notable being KHANATA, a group that contributed
immeasurably to the renaissance and compilation of Bolivian folk music.
Gonzalo was also one of the founders of SUKAY which played a key role in
introducing Andean music to the U.S. and Canada. His compositions are played
and recorded throughout South America, Europe, and the U.S., and he is
recognized internationally for his skill in playing panpipes and South
American flutes.

Pamela Darington is a fifth generation Californian. She became involved in
Andean music in college where she was studying South American culture and
language. In 1983, she joined with Vargas to form the group TAKISUN, which
performed in festivals, pehas, and cultural events in the Bay Area. She was a
member of the group KUSKA, and is a founding member of INKUYO.

Jorge Tapia was born in Los Andes, Chile, but has been living in the U.S.
in exile since he was 16. Jorge became involved in music as a way of remaining
close to his Chilean roots and culture. He joined his first group, CANTO
LIBRE, at 18. Later, with other children of Chilean refugees, he formed the
group KAMANCHAKA, which strives to make the world aware of the plight of the
Chilean people.

Omar Sepulveda was born in Santiago, Chile. Due to the work of Chilean folk
musicians like Violeta Parra and Victor Jara, and groups such as INTI
ILLIMANI, and QUILA PAYUN, who compiled and brought to the public Chilean and
Latin American folk music, he became interested in Andean music. After the
military coup in Chile in 1973, his family was exiled and came to California
where he decided to study and perform Andean music. He has performed with
VENCEREMOS, KAMANCHAKA, and SUKAY before joining INKUYO in September, 1988.

THE INSTRUMENTS

THE FLUTHS

The Quena A resonant cane flute, it is one of the oldest Andean
instruments. The quena is a notched flute with seven fingerholes. Today, it is
made of bamboo; traditionally, it was constructed of stone, clay, or the wing
bones of the condor.

The Siku or Zampona (panpipe) The siku is made of several bamboo tubes
of various sizes tied together in two rows to create a diatonic scale.
Traditionally one instrument is played by two people with each half of the
instrument having only one half of the scale. Sikus come in various sizes and
keys. The smallest is around four inches long, while the largest is
approximately four and one half feet long. In Incan times, a man's position
was determined by his ability to play the siku. The best players were
considered heroes.

The Suri Sicuris Also of the panpipe family, the sari sicuri has the
same tuning as the siku. Like the siku, it is made of various types of bamboo.
The main difference between the sari sicuri and the siku is that the sari
sieuri carries all of the pipes of the scale in one row; the second row is for
resonance only. In certain areas of the Andes, the sari sicuris are made with
a pentatonic scale.

The Antara The antara is built in the same fashion as the sicuri and is
always in the pentatonic scale (5 notes to the octave).

The Rondador The rondador is tuned in the pentatonic scale. Each note
of the scale is followed by its lower third allowing the musician to play the
melody and its harmony when the two adjacent pipes are blown simultaneously.

PERCUSSION AND STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

Drums and rattles in several sizes and shapes are used in Andean music,
some of them dating back several thousand years. Others are new instruments
created or adapted to Andean music by European influence. There are several
stringed instruments used in Andean music such as the guitar, violin, tiple,
harp, and charango. The charango is the only stringed instrument native to
South America.

The Wancara A large, round drum with goat skins stretched across both
sides. It has a deep bass sound. It is most commonly played in sikureadas
where large groups play sikus and drums together.

The Bombo Another Andean drum, the bombo comes in several sizes. These
drums are made from hollowed tree trunks with animal skins stretched across
each end.

The Caja Much smaller than the bombo, they are also made from hollowed
tree trunks with animal skins stretched across each end. Across one side of
the caja is stretched a piece of string that has small slivers of wood
attached to it to create the sound of a snare drum.

The Chullus A woven ribbon with several goat hooves tied onto it. When
shaken, it suggests the sound of wind and falling rain.

The Charango The only stringed instrument native to the Andes began
appearing in the 18th century between Bolivia and Peru. It was fashioned after
the Spanish guitar. It has ten strings and is made out of armadillo shells or
wood. Its small size made it simple for shepherds to carry the instrument with
them while herding their llamas.

The Guitar, Violin, Harp, and Tiple Although these instruments are not
native to the Andes, their introduction brought about the creation of new
styles and rhythms in Andean music.

The serpent is a recurrent figure in religious beliefs, ceremonies,
activities, and legends. The folktales and legends that have surrounded it in
practically every culture have combined to produce religous overtones in many
different parts of the world. While in many religions the snake is primarily a
symbol, direct worship of the snake as a god-like creature (not as an indirect
representation) is not uncommon. Python worshippers are found in Africa, and
the cobra cults of India are well known. Quetzalcoatl was the feathered
serpent of the Aztecs. The serpent is a symbol for the snake-handling
Protestant sects of the United States, the snake dancers of the Hopi Indian,
and perhaps the Burmese snake charmers, who end their ceremonies with a kiss
on the top of a cobra's head. Handling of snakes is done both as a gesture of
belief and faith in the power of the gods and as an act of defiance of the
same power.

Double-headed serpents and birds, and composite beings with animal, avian,
reptilian or invertebrate features persist into later Andean arts. As with
griffins and unicorns, these composite creatures were surrounded by lore and
beliefs that made the iconography intelligible to the general populace, and
preceramic motifs were the building blocks of symbolic communication that came
to dominate the later corporate styles.

1. Traditiones Andinas (Andean Traditions) 3' 19" By Gonzalo Vargas,
Rhythm: Huayno The huayno is one of the oldest and still most popular rhythms
in Peru, Bolivia, and the northern parts of Argentina and Chile. The huayno is
played using flutes and drums, and is loved because of the variety of moods it
expresses=happy, melancholy, and even sorrowful. Although there is no
knowledge of specific songs that date back to the pre-Incan era, this
traditional rhythm can be linked to the pre-Columbian period.

When the Spanish missionaries came to convert the Andean people, they
believed that the music and the instruments of the Incas were a form of
paganism and forbade their use. The missionaries were unsuccessful in
eradicating the native Incan music. The Incas kept their own music and rhythms
alive by adapting them to more acceptable European stringed instruments. After
the Spanish yoke was thrown off and South America began developing its new
face, the blending of preColumbian and European instruments began to occur.
The huayno and other rhythms began to be used with native flutes playing the
melody accompanied by stringed instruments as it is done today.

Paine is a Campesino village a few kilometers from Santiago, Chile. It was
in this village, at the beginning of General Pinochet's brutal dictatorship,
that the husbands and sons of many village women were detained by
soldiers-never to be seen again. One area became known as "Widow's
Alley" because of the vast number of men missing.

3. Kena-Taki (Singing Flute) 4'28" By Gonzalo Vargas Rhythm: Trote

The kena was an important instrument to the llama herders of the Andes for
two reasons. First, it was the first companion of young boys going to the
mountains with their llama flock. Second, it was used by the llama herders in
their special kena songs and rituals to worhip "Urcuchillay", a
varicolored llama buck, who they believed watched over the llamas' growth and
reproduction cycle. The kena was originally fashioned from clay or animal
bones and is one of the oldest instruments found in the Americas. The rhythm
of this song, Trote, is a contemporary rhythm.

A selection of three traditional Peruvian huaynos. Not long after Pizarro's
discovery of the kingdom of the Incas, word spread throughout Europe of a new
land that contained a great quantity of gold, silver, and other rich metals.
People from all over Europe came to the Andes bringing with them their own
musical instruments and traditions. These new instruments were eventually
incorporated into Andean music. Today, the traditional Peruvian huaynos are
often heard being played on the violin, harp, mandolin, and harmonica.

5. Sikureada (Song of Sikus) 4'44" Traditional Rhythm: Sikureada

Traditional Andean music is often an expression of the reality of the daily
life of the inhabitants. One type of music that can most accurately describe
the communal way of life of this culture is the Sikureada. Sikureadas are
traditionally performed by two musicians on the siku (panpipe), sharing the
instrument. The siku has two parts, each one a banded row of bamboo tubes
containing a different set of alternating notes of the diatonic scale. Each
musician plays a part of the melody-those notes which fall on his half of the
instrument. Sikureadas are played in large groups accompanied by the drums.
This music reflects the collective spirit and closeness of the people, present
in most aspects of daily life.

6. Chiquita (Little One) 3'32" Traditional Rhythm: Tonada

Chiquita is a courtship song performed in both Quechua and Spanish. It is
performed at the festival of the Virgin Dolores in the village of Tapacari in
the Western part of Cochabamba, Bolivia. On the day of the festival, people
walk in from the outlying areas of the village playing sikuris or mohcenos.
Those who have moved to the cities also return for the festival. They arrive
in the back of trucks bringing with them the more contemporary brass bands.
Throughout the day, the mix of traditional groups and city bands circle the
plaza dancing and singing. In the early evening, as the sun begins to set, the
brass bands, the sikuris, and the mohcenos disappear. The only sound left is
the strumming of the charango as single, young men begin to play their
instruments, each hoping to attract a pretty, young woman. The young women
form circles holding hands, dancing, and singing around the charango players.
This ritual goes on every evening for three days. At the end of the festival,
many newly engaged couples leave together on their horses and donkeys.

7. Chanarcillo 3'54" By Victor Jara Rhythm: Contemporary

In the sixties, young musicians began to join elements of the traditional
Andean folk music with contemporary rhythms and ideas, and created a new music
known today as Nueva Cancion or the New Latin American Song. In a time when
people were not allowed to speak out for fear of repercussion, this music
served as a voice to condemn repressive governments and spoke of ending the
struggles and suffering of the people. Victor Jara, the aurhor of this song,
died at the hands of the Pinochet Regime for daring to voice the sentiments of
thousands of Chileans in song.

8. Rosas Tika (Three Roses) 3'52" Traditional Rhythm: Tonada

The charango is the only stringed instrument native to the Andes. Found in
Bolivia in the 1700's, it was fashioned after the Spanish vihuela. Today, the
charango is associated with courting and love. In certain areas of Peru and
Bolivia, it is used almost exclusively by single, young men in courting.
Magical rites are performed to enlist supernatural aid in their musical
endeavors to capture the heart of their chosen maiden. For example, the
"Sirena" is a magical being which is believed to reside in rivers,
lakes, and oceans. At sundown, the young men leave their charangos by the edge
of the water and retire to somewhere close by where they cannot see the
instrument. During the night, the Sirena comes and "tunes" their
instrument, giving it the power to captivate women. It is said that anyone
that has ever seen the Sirena has gone mad. Accompanied by his friends, the
youths pass the night making ritual offerings to the Sirena and drinking
chicha. In the morning they return to collect the instrument and find that it
now has a beautiful, captivating voice.

9. Albazo de Luna Nueva (Albazo of the Full Moon) 4'26" By Omar
Sepulveda Rhythm: Albazo

The Albazo is a rhythm unique to Ecuador. It is traditionally played at
dawn on Festival days. Today, it is customary for newlyweds to be awakened, by
these melodies the day after the wedding.

10. Caporal (Slave Master) 4' 16" By Gonzalo Vargas Rhythm: Caporal

During Colonial times, the inhabitants of the Andes used dance to rebel
against their Spaniard oppressors. Many of today's dances such as the
Morenada, Diablada, Doctorcitos, and the Caporal are characterizations of
their oppressors. The Caporal was the slave master. In this dance, the dancers
dress up in fine silk clothes and dance with a whip imitating the fury of the
master. This dance has become very popular in the last 20 years. It is
customary for high school students to dance the caporal in large groups during
festivals.

The people of the Andes express various aspects of their life through
music, especially the loss of a loved one. This song is written in loving
memory of my mother who passed to me the traditions handed down to her by our
forefathers, the Quechua (Inca) Indians. Although the surroundings in which
she lived pressured her to forego her past and deny her Indian heritage, she
overcame the pressure and kept traditional ways-from her form of dress to the
veneration of the Pachamama (Mother Earth). Although she happily fulfilled her
role in the Catholic Church, she religiously performed the daily rites and
rituals to the Pachamama, and on the first Friday of the month she would burn
q'oa (incense) and give thanks to the Pachamama as has been the Quechua
tradition for centuries.

The Taquirari is a rhythm that originated in the tropical areas of Bolivia;
specifically, Santa Cruz. Although the Taquirari is typically played only on
stringed instruments or by a brass band, it is now commonly heard on the flute
and in a strings format. Though the Taquirari is of Bolivian origin, the
popularity of this music has traveled to the plains and mountain areas and
across the borders to Peru and northern Chile.

"Many are the flowers of our Latin America, but none so beautiful as
the flower of Zacapu." In the Andes, it is customary to refer to women as
Palomitay (Dove) or as in this song, a beautiful flower.

14. Tushuy 6'24" Traditional Rhythm: Yumbo

Yumbo is a pre-Columbian melody played on the antara. The antara is the
oldest panpipe discovered in the Andes. It has a pentatonic scale and all of
the pipes are in one row as opposed to the siku which has two halves to the
instruments and is tuned on a diatonic scale.

15. Jatarichi 3'25" Traditional Rhythm: San Juanito

The rondador is an instrument unique to Ecuador. Each note of the
pentatonic scale is followed by its lower third, allowing the musician to play
the melody and the harmony at the same time by blowing the two tubes
simultaneously. The San Juanito is the most popular rhythm in Ecuador. It is
typically heard during the festival of San Juan which corresponds to Inti
Raymi, the festival of the Sun, which for centuries was one of the most
important celebrations of the Quechua people.